There is an interest in employing cash alternatives in a variety of environments. Such cash alternatives can include, for example, payment devices such as payment cards and the like. In some cases, it may be difficult to employ such cash alternatives where transaction processing times are too long, for example, due to slow terminal decisioning. One non-limiting example of a situation where transaction times might need to be short is the case of high volume environments (for example, access to transit systems). Such high volume environments might also tend to involve relatively low-value transactions. Current techniques are unable to implement the traditional authorization decisioning process to the issuer and receive a response in real-time.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,044 of Jun et al. discloses a non-contacting type radio frequency recognizing credit card system. The Jun et al. system includes: an RF card for being activated by receiving radio frequency from a card terminal (70) so as to transmit its own card number to the card terminal through radio frequency; the card terminal radiating a radio frequency to induce an electric generation in the RF card, and the card terminal transmitting a card number data (received through a radio frequency) to a wire-connected terminal computer; and the terminal computer reading the card number data from the card terminal to make an inquiry into a black list, to make a decision for issuing an approval of a transaction or a denying of the transaction, and to transmit the result of the decision to the card terminal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,503 of Jewell discloses a distributed authorization system. The distributed authorization system and process for authorizing transactions utilizes a host computer communicating with a network of electronic terminals remote from the host computer. It includes storing negative file data in the electronic terminal containing information used to identify accounts for which requested transactions are to be denied, and storing authorization file data in the electronic terminal containing information used to determine whether to authorize a requested transaction. Upon entry of a transaction request, the data is checked against the terminal negative file data and immediately denied if the card account is contained in the terminal's negative file. If the transaction is not denied, authorization logic is performed in the electronic terminal resulting in terminal output denying the request, authorizing the request, or establishing an electronic connection from the terminal to the host computer to obtain authorization from the host computer. In establishing this connection, account data is transmitted from the host back to the remote electronic terminal resulting in terminal output either denying the request or authorizing the request. Also, during such connection, the terminal's authorization file is updated with account data, transmitted from the host computer to the electronic terminal. The completed transaction is stored in a terminal transaction queue file residing in the terminal for subsequent transmission to the host computer, and for use with a transaction request is subsequently entered at the terminal for the same account.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,382 of Muehlberger et al. discloses a system and method for processing credit and debit card validity and funds transactions from vending machines and similar terminals, including a data processor with memory storage capable of accessing an electronic clearing facility through a time rated (e.g., long distance) communication link. The system generates a real-time communication with the clearing facility to determine card validity and to initiate funds collection for transactions above a predetermined amount, and generates an off-line batch communication to the clearing facility at a time when communication rates are reduced to initiate funds collection for transactions in the system below the predetermined amount. The system relies upon local card validation, including memory storage of a previously validated card during a predetermined time period, as well as rejection of previously invalidated cards during another predetermined time period. The system and method is particularly useful for remote automated vending machines and automatic teller machines which typically handle a large volume of credit and debit transactions, each of which represents a small dollar amount.
A need exists for improvement in known techniques.